stowaway

Right on, thanks Frosty! I'll give it a try and let you know how it turns out.

Hhmm, maybe I'll try heating one in the forge. Frosty should I just keep it on the verge of burning for a few minutes to let the zinc burn off? Thanks for all the advice guys, and I think I will keep the one on the right as is for a punch or for small bends.

Hey guys, a cave building company stationed near where I work went out of business and auctioned off all of there equipment recently. For a couple bucks I picked up these bits from one of their monster drills. I'm not sure what they're made of but I'm assuming its something hard as xxxx. So I was thinking about turning into tools for my Hardie. Flatten one for a cut off and keep one round for tight radius bends. Its raining in my smithy at the moment so I wont get to fire until Sunday probably, but what are your thoughts?

As a new guy, I'd just like to say that I understand and appreciate where you are all coming from. Wise words gentlemen. This forum is a great resource of knowledge and every question I have had so far has been answered before I could ask it, just by doing a little digging. So thank you all for being willing to share what you know.

I would love to have a steel stand, but wood I have in plenty so its what I'll use for now. What height is generally recommended for anvil face? I have it on a chunk of cedar and its about knuckle high. Also I just started my first fire in a brakedrum forge, so wish me luck gents.

A ringer... That's a great idea Thomas. I'll definitely keep that in mind if I ever need to go portable.

Great advice on tools and the CBA. Much appreciated. I have a ball peen and a 3 pound crosspeen that I figure will get me by, I'm gonna start with the basics naturally, make square stock round and then square again, simple bends etc. xxxx I'm excited. Now, do any of you have a wood you prefer to use as an anvil base? Or for whatever else? I'm leaning towards coast live oak because its the heaviest thing around in CA.

Thanks for the feedback guys, that's awesome that it was made in Tennessee, I have lots of family out there. Hopefully by this weekend I'll have a forge built and be able to give it a try.

Awesome!

Thanks VaughnT, that's what I was hoping to hear. I had actually given up hope trying to find an anvil for what I was willing to spend, so I called an old friend that's been doing metal work for 30+ years to see if he had a piece of railroad rail or something he'd be willing to part with. I stopped by his shop and almost crapped my pants when he hauled this thing out from under a shelf in the back dusty corner.

Picked up my very first anvil yesterday. Its a 150 pound Southern Crescent. Got it for what I believe to be a sweet price of $100. Its pretty beat up and a bit rough around the edges. Good enough for a little backyard starter forge? What do you think?

That's a great idea. Doing it.

Organizing a group is a great idea but I wouldn't even know where to start. Call every smith within 50 miles and see if they want to meet for a Sunday hammer session somewhere? That sounds awesome actually.

Ive looked quite a bit and there doesn't seem to be an organized group in my area, but there are a few smiths.

Hello gentlemen, Names justin, age 26 from santa rosa CA I am very excited about getting into smithing so I'm sorry but I'm gonna go on a little rant here. I am an arborist by day and vintage motorcycle builder and restorer by night. I got the smithing bug a few months back while looking at photos of a 1905 flying Merkel. I spent hours pondering how I could recreate such a beautiful machine, and decided that I really need to learn how to mold metal to fit my dreams. I started thinking about and researching blacksmithing and I was hooked. Big time. Honestly I didn't think anyone smithed anymore, I thought it was a dead art. Boy was I happy to be wrong. I have since spent countless hours reading threads on this site and watching YouTube videos and burying myself in a couple blacksmithing books that I picked up. What you guys do is absolutely amazing in my mind. To take earth, fire, air and water and create something beautiful from nothing is an amazing skill. It has inspired and driven me with a will to create like Ive never felt in my life. So thank all of you out there for sharing your wisdom, and being an inspiration. That being said: From reading threads here and other places I decided that finding an anvil or ASO would be the best and possibly most expensive starting point. After spending weeks on Craig's list and not wanting to for go my rent for 2 moths on a new anvil, I called every man I know that is envolved in metal work lookin for something, anything, just give me a chunk of steel to create on. And I am happy to say that today, I brought home my very first anvil. Its a 150 pound southern crescent. Very beat up and cast iron with steel faces but for a hundred bucks I would have carried it home on my back. I have access to plenty of wood through my job so a nice big hunk of oak to chain it to will be next. Fabbing up a brake drum forge tomorrow and hopefully next weekend I'll be able to dump doe on tongs and a hammer or two. I have a mini 1 1/2 pound sledge and a few pairs of vise grips for now. I am very excited to be here and learn from everyone that has wisdom to share. Thank all of you again and cheers gents. Recommend a good rounding hammer?